Use of recycled lumber and wood products is a growing market. As a result, carpenters and typical consumers are increasingly using recycled lumber requiring the added task of removing nails prior to re-use. Many nails in recycled lumber are deeply embedded in the wood, making nail extraction difficult.
Claw hammers are used to remove partially extended nails or other fasteners from wood or other materials. A typical claw hammer has a fixed fulcrum pivot point on the outer curve of the hammer head against which the hammer is pivoted when removing nails or other fasteners. When removing a nail, the nail shaft is slidably inserted within the cleft opening of a two-pronged claw. The claw slides along the nail shaft until it meets with and catches the nail head.
The distance between the pivot point, on the one hand, and where the claw engages the nail shaft and/or head, on the other hand, corresponds to the amount of torque and resulting force that can be applied to the nail. A smaller distance increases the torque and force available and makes nail removal easier for the hammer user. For extended nails, the pivot point is shifted away (at a further distance) from the nail shaft. As a result, the user either struggles through multiple attempts to remove the nail, and/or cannot, for lack of strength, create sufficient torque to remove the nail.
To date, devices developed to extend a hammer's fulcrum are addressed at assisting in the removal of recently and/or partially-embedded nails in the course of working with new lumber. These tools do not meet the needs of carpenters or consumers removing deeply embedded nails from recycled lumber. Additional drawbacks include: 1) designs utilizing excessive parts and small parts that are subject to rust damage; 2) designs that require awkward, time consuming adjustment of the fulcrum that render the tool non-practical; 3) designs that allow for a fulcrum to be extended to only one length so as to render the fulcrum unusable for multiple nail lengths; 4) designs which give the hammer an unusual appearance that will lead to consumer rejection; 5) designs that incorporate external parts, knobs, and so forth, that interfere with normal use of the hammer tool; 6) designs that require two hands for fulcrum extension and/or adjustment, thereby creating a potential safety hazard for a user who needs at least one hand to remain stabilized while using the tool; 7) designs that incorporate custom expensive parts that would render the tool too expensive for the typical consumer; and, 8) designs that require too much strength to extend and/or adjust the fulcrum, thereby rendering the tool too difficult to use by many potential consumers.
Accordingly, there is an as of yet unmet need in the art for a hammer design to increase torque for nail and fastener removal that: 1) does not require excessive or small parts subject to rust damage; 2) does not require awkward, time consuming adjustment of a fulcrum; 3) that allows for a fulcrum to be extended to multiple lengths for multiple nail extension lengths, such as is necessary when working with recycled lumber that contains many deeply embedded nails; 4) that does not give the hammer an unusual appearance that would lead to consumer rejection; 5) that does not incorporate external parts that would interfere with normal use of the hammer tool; 6) that does not require two hands for fulcrum extension and/or adjustment and can be used single-handedly, thereby allowing the user to remain stabilized in the work environment for improved safety; 7) that does not incorporate custom expensive parts that would render the tool too expensive for the typical consumer; and, 8) that incorporates a fulcrum that is easy and quick to adjust without requiring much time or strength.